The Role of Pain and Blood Simulation of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Emotion Regulation Among Adolescents With Depression Based on the Principle of Harm Reduction: An Experimental Study

Abstract

This study aims to explore the role of pain and blood in emotion regulation during nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents with depression, which included 108 depressed adolescents with NSSI and 110 depressed adolescents without NSSI, to assess the impact of pain and blood on subjective emotional states, and pulse frequency (Pf), respiratory frequency (Rf), galvanic skin response (GSR), and electromyography (EMG). Significant condition×group×time interactions for positive emotions (β = −0.082, SE = 0.026, P = 0.002), Pf (β = −0.045, SE = 0.013, P = 0.001) and GSR (β = −0.041, SE = 0.018, P = 0.027) were found, indicating a significant increase in positive emotions and a significant decrease in Pf and GSR in the NSSI group post-pain/blood stimulus, especially within the first 10 seconds (for Pf, GSR)/3.5 minutes (for positive emotions) following stimulus. And Pf and GSR showed a more pronounced decrease over time in the NSSI group during the pain condition than in the blood condition. These findings highlight the significance of pain and blood in emotion regulation for adolescents with depression who engage in NSSI. Moreover, clinical healthcare professionals may be inspired by the pain and blood stimulus of NSSI based on the harm reduction principle, which provides new ideas for exploring potential interventions that can assist adolescents with depression regulate their emotions and reduce the occurrence of NSSI. And more relevant studies need to be carried out in this area.